Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network
Episode: Luca Cottini, "The Rise of Americanism in Italy, 1888-1919" (U Toronto Press, 2025)
Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Caleb Zakrin
Guest: Luca Cottini, Professor of Italian Studies at Villanova University

Episode Overview

This episode explores Luca Cottini’s new book, The Rise of Americanism in Italy, 1888-1919. Cottini and Zakrin engage in a deep discussion about the multifaceted influence of American identity and ideology—“Americanism”—on Italian culture during a formative period for both nations. The conversation traces the transatlantic exchange of ideas, artifacts, and people, and examines how the relationship between Italy and the U.S. shaped national myths, political movements, and popular culture on both sides.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining “Americanism”

• Introduction to Americanism

  • Americanism as a complex, historically contingent ideology.
  • In Italy, it synthesizes how Italians perceived America, especially during peak immigration years (1888-1919).
  • In America, it refers to both debates over national identity and the deliberate export of American values and products.
  • Quote (Luca Cottini, 06:13):
    “The notion of Americanism as a debate, a historical debate that took place in the late 19th century with the great immigration, a debate that here in the United States forced American citizens to reflect upon what American identity consists of.”

• Two-Way Exchange (“Transatlantism”)

  • Cottini challenges unidirectional narratives of migration.
  • Presents “transatlantism”—where both Italy and the U.S. co-construct ideas, with movement of people, products, and myths in both directions.
  • Quote (Luca Cottini, 09:18):
    “I challenge the notion that... the movements across the Atlantic were unidirectional. So just Italians emigrating to the United States. But I also want to introduce the other direction, a common construction of this transatlantism.”

2. Italian Immigration and Legislative Change

• 1888 Immigration Law
  • Before 1888, it was illegal for Italians to emigrate.
  • The law legitimized “seasonal” migration but fueled the Great Migration, with around half of migrants returning, sometimes marginalized for their “American” ways.
  • Church and state in Italy both condemned emigration, seeing it as sinful or unpatriotic.
  • Quote (Luca Cottini, 10:59):
    “The law that was supposed to track immigration and keep it as a seasonal phenomenon... actually ratified a phenomenon that would last for 40 years.”

3. Anti-Italianism, Anti-Catholicism, and the Symbolism of Columbus

• Lynching in New Orleans (1891)
  • A major episode of anti-Italian and anti-Catholic violence, resulting in the rupture of diplomatic ties with the U.S.
  • Led to the establishment of embassies and better legal protection for Italian immigrants (15:07).
• Columbus as a Mythic Figure
  • Italians and the Vatican leveraged Columbus as proof of long-standing Italian-Catholic presence in America, countering discrimination.
  • Columbus becomes a foundational figure for both Italian-Americans and the myth of a unified American identity, especially in the 1890s.
  • Quote (Luca Cottini, 17:18):
    “...Columbus was the founding father of Americans, of Catholics and Italians. So in this sense, there is a convergence of ideologies around his figure. And that's the time where all the monuments that are being torn down have been erected in the first place.”

4. From Columbianism to Americanism: Imperial Turn

• Columbianism and National Myths

  • “Columbianism” was initially more prominent than “Americanism,” especially during the world’s fairs (1892-1893).
  • The Spanish-American War (1898) helped shift rhetoric from “Columbianism” (a focus on Columbus) to “Americanism”, now linked with U.S. imperial projects (20:04 - 22:28).

• Teddy Roosevelt’s Americanism

  • Roosevelt stands for “earned” American identity and celebrates rugged individualism, drawing analogies between pioneer expansion and immigrant assimilation.
  • Also the figurehead for American global assertiveness post-1898.
  • Quote (Luca Cottini, 23:04):
    “For Roosevelt...the American identity is not given by birth, but it’s actually earned.”

• Suspicion from Italy and the Vatican

  • American expansion into Catholic territories raised suspicions about “Americanism” as a heretical, modernizing force.
  • Papal letters condemned "Americanism" as a heresy—a suspicion that lasted into the 20th century (23:04 - 27:05).

5. Cultural Exchange: American Influence on Italy

• Tourism and Notable Americans in Italy

  • Increasing numbers of Americans traveled to Italy for the “Grand Tour,” but also brought business and culture.
  • J. P. Morgan, Thomas Edison, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Buffalo Bill, and art critics like Bernard Berenson and painters like Sargent are discussed as catalysts of cross-cultural fertilization (27:58).
  • Quote (Luca Cottini, 29:10):
    “Buffalo Bill brought to Italy...his show...was the first time in which something that had a cultural claim...was constructed on an industrial scale.”

• American “Soft Power”

  • Examples include the founding of institutions, spreading technology (Edison’s electrification of La Scala), and the infiltration of American pop culture (Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows, etc.).
  • American observers like Henry James offered new perspectives on “modern” Italy, breaking the mold of older sentimental or exotic representations (32:40).

6. American Pragmatism, Theosophy, and Intellectual Exchange

• Briefly mentioned: American intellectual movements (pragmatism, theosophy) had notable impact in Italy during the period (33:53).

7. Woodrow Wilson’s Americanism and World War I

• Wilson’s Universalizing Vision

  • Unlike Roosevelt’s “earned” Americanism, Wilson propounded an ideal of universal brotherhood—aiming to export American (and “Pan-American”) values globally.
  • Before the U.S. entered WWI, “soft power” efforts (YMCA, Red Cross) laid groundwork for positive reception (35:18).
  • Quote (Luca Cottini, 35:18):
    “For Wilson, Americanism had to do with sort of a universal brotherhood... in the occasion of World War I, Americanism becomes a way to export these values as universal gifts of brotherhood.”

• Italian Reception of Wilson

  • Initially hailed as a messianic figure upon his 1919 visit (39:16).
  • Subsequent disillusionment when Wilson’s peace settlement failed to grant Italy expected territories (Istria, Dalmatia)—turning admiration into resentment and fueling nationalist reactions (41:16).
  • Quote (Luca Cottini, 39:16):
    “He was welcomed as a hero, actually, on Italian newspapers, he was called as the new secular messiah. Why? Well, first of all, because of this preparation work...”

• Seeds of Fascist Nationalism (“Italianism”)

  • Postwar resentment provided fertile ground for the rise of Italian nationalism and, ultimately, fascism (43:10).

8. Broader Legacy: Americanism, Italianism, and the Study of Transatlantic Identity

• Long-Term Patterns
  • Reciprocal influences continued after 1919; Italian-American communities became vital cultural and commercial interlocutors.
  • The “American Market” remains fundamental for Italian industry and culture to this day (54:28).
• Scholarly Context
  • Cottini positions his work alongside other scholars (Victoria de Grazia, Wido Bonsaver) but foregrounds the uniquely Italian vantage point for examining Americanization and Americanism.
  • Quote (Luca Cottini, 44:41):
    “...I respond to the question, what is Americanism?...reflect upon the meanings of this word or ideology that we are supposedly against, but sometimes we are against it without knowing what Americanism meant in the first place.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the fluid notion of Americanism

  • “The word contains many facets. And I like to observe it from the two perspectives of America toward Italy and Italy toward America.” (Luca Cottini, 08:47)

• On cultural and business interconnection

  • “Culture... in Latin means cultivation, industry means industriousness. They both have to do with the optimization of something in the material and in the intellectual world.” (Luca Cottini, 04:17)

• On the significance of Columbus

  • “...the Pope Leo XIII and also the Italian state supported a narrative that presented Columbus as kind of a pioneering figure... This was a way to create a founding myth that would prevent Italians from being persecuted...” (Luca Cottini, 17:18)

• On the first American pope, Leo XIV

  • “His name, the choice of the name Leo was actually the most obvious of all choices... Leo XIII was actually very fond of the United States and... contributed the most to creating the Church in the United States, establishing its structure.” (Luca Cottini, 48:48)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:17] Luca Cottini on his background and approach bridging culture and business.
• [06:13] Explaining “Americanism” from both U.S. and Italian perspectives.
• [10:59] 1888 Italian immigration law and its impact.
• [15:07] Anti-Italian and anti-Catholic sentiment in the U.S.; Columbus as a figure of protection.
• [20:04–22:28] Shift from “Columbianism” to “Americanism” and Roosevelt’s role.
• [27:58] Arrival and influence of American cultural figures and inventions in Italy.
• [32:40] American artists and critics redefining Italian identity.
• [35:18] Wilsonian “Americanism” and American soft power in WWI Italy.
• [39:16] Italian worship of Wilson, and subsequent disillusionment.
• [41:16–43:51] Rise of Italianist nationalism after the “American betrayal.”
• [44:41] Cottini contextualizes his research within broader scholarship.
• [48:48] Significance of Pope Leo XIV as an American pope.

Additional Highlights

• Legacy of Italian-American return migration: Returnees brought not only cash but new values/practices to Italy, shaping Italian culture in lasting ways (10:59).
• Cultural hybridization via cuisine, art, and commerce: Italy's “made in Italy” brand is in part a legacy of this mutual influence, notably visible in places like New York City (54:09).

Tone & Style

Cottini is insightful, reflective, and eager to trace beneath-the-surface linkages. Zakrin is enthusiastic and inquisitive, drawing out both rich anecdotes and high-level conceptual arguments. The discussion maintains a scholarly yet accessible tone, peppered with cross-cultural references, vivid historical moments, and occasional humor.

Conclusion

Cottini's The Rise of Americanism in Italy offers a rigorously researched, multidimensional look at the Italian-American relationship during the defining years of 1888–1919, challenging stereotypical narratives and emphasizing the messy, creative, and often paradoxical interplay between two national cultures. This episode is essential for anyone interested in transatlantic studies, migration, cultural identity, or the perennial question: what does it mean to be "American"?

For further study: Check out Luca Cottini’s YouTube channel, Italian Innovators, for accessible explorations of Italian creativity, design, and cultural entrepreneurship (56:33).